Word
Keşke bu kadar alıngan olmasaydı.
Meaning
If only he weren't this touchy.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Keşke bu kadar alıngan olmasaydı.
bu
this
olmak
to be
kadar
as ... as; until, up to
keşke
if only / I wish
Questions & Answers about Keşke bu kadar alıngan olmasaydı.
How is the tendency adjective alıngan formed in this sentence?
It is formed from the verb alınmak (to take offense) and the suffix -gan. This suffix creates an adjective describing a habit or tendency. Therefore, an alıngan person is someone who frequently takes offense, meaning they are "touchy" or "sensitive".
Is the root verb alınmak related to almak (to take)?
Yes, alınmak is the passive or reflexive form of almak. While it can literally mean "to be taken", in everyday conversations it is very often used metaphorically to mean "to take offense" or "to take something personally".
Why do we use the past conditional olmasaydı instead of just the negative imperative olmasın?
The word keşke (if only / I wish) requires a conditional suffix. To express a hypothetical wish that goes against the current reality (he IS touchy right now, but we wish he weren't), Turkish uses the past conditional suffix -saydı on the negative stem olma-.
Does bu kadar literally mean "this much"?
Yes, literally bu (this) and kadar (amount) mean "this much". However, when placed before an adjective like alıngan, it acts as an intensifier translating naturally to "this touchy" or "so sensitive".